Slow Cooker Meals for Busy Teachers

When you’re getting home from school at 5:30 or 6:00 at night, there’s no time to cook dinner. Why not put your slow cooker to work? Turn it on in the morning, and dinner will be ready when you get home. These are some of my favorite slow cooker meals for busy teachers.

Slow Cooker Meals for Busy Teachers

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On busy school nights, my slow cooker is my best friend. I throw the ingredients into it in the morning before rushing out the door to school. When I get home, dinner is ready.

This year, my slow cooker is getting used more often than it ever has before. My husband stopped teaching 5th grade this year and is home during the day. Since he doesn’t cook, I throw the ingredients in the slow cooker, and he turns it on around 9 or 10, so dinner is ready when I get home.

This solves the main problem I had with slow cooker meals in the past – overcooked, dry food. When I started the slow cooker at 6 in the morning when I leave for school the food cooked for 11 to 12 hours, when it was only supposed to cook about 8 hours. Many meals were ruined this way.

Another way to solve this problem is to purchase a slow cooker with a built-in timer, like the Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker. Then, you can choose when it starts to avoid overcooking.

These are some of my family’s favorite slow cooker meals.

Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken from Dinner at the Zoo

Honey Garlic Chicken from Tip Buzz

Lemon Garlic Chicken from Magic Skillet

Cheesy Chicken and Potatoes from White Lights on Wednesday

Chicken Marsala from Moms with Crockpots

Beef

Mississippi Pot Roast from The Country Cook

Beef Tips and Gravy from Carlsbad Cravings

Chili-Lime Shredded Beef from The Stay at Home Chef

Korean Beef  from Jodeze Home and Garden

Pot Roast from Don’t Waste the Crumbs

Sandwiches

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwiches from Six Sisters’ Stuff

Pulled Pork from Lauren Greutman

French Dip Sandwiches from Chef Savvy

Meatball Subs from Rick on the Rocks

Soup

Creamy Bacon Corn Chowder from Spend With Pennies

Chicken Rice Soup from Fav Family Recipes

Vegetable Beef Soup from Cincy Shopper

Slow Cooker Chili with Black Beans and Corn from Amy at Chew Out Loud

Other

Pierogi Casserole with Kielbasa from Daily DIY Life

Easy Meal and Easy Clean-Up

Slow cooker meals are definitely some of the easiest meals you can make. Just dump everything in and let it cook. However, when I first started using my slow cooker, I remember spending so much time scrubbing it after the meal was done. The sauces would get stuck to the inside of it.

Then, I discovered Slow Cooker Liners, and now clean-up is even easier than making the meal. Just pull the bag out and throw it in the garbage. The inside of your slow cooker is spotless. These are definitely one of my favorite kitchen products!

Want even more recipes? Check out these quick and easy meals to make on school nights.

The Teacher Self-Care Community

Looking for a community of teachers who are all working toward their self-care goals? The Teacher Self-Care Community will be a place where teachers can find support and guidance on their self-care journeys.

The Teacher Self-Care Community will officially open on May 27, 2023, and we’ll be doing a healthy eating challenge in June. Join the wait list by clicking this link and requesting to join.

See you there!

What Do You Think?

What are your favorite slow cooker recipes?

Let me know in the comments below.

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